Destination: Your Heart
by tonisparkz
Summary: One man believes that he's destined to fail in one particular area: his love life. One woman believes she's not capable of holding a man's attention after three dates. Forced to meet due to a rash mistake on both ends, will the connection between the two suffer a premature end? Or will it last for an entire journey, ending in the other's heart?
1. Chapter 1

This is the first story that I've written with the intention of having others read it for entertainment's sake and not just for the sake of a grade. I do hope you enjoy it. All comments are welcome in the form of reviews. Also, a link will be provided on my profile of an album containing pictures of what I envisioned my characters to look like and other things. Please review and let me know what you think.

 **Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, thus I ask that you treat it as such. All recognizable names do not belong to me. The unrecognizable names and plot however are solely mine.**

* * *

Chapter 1

 _"Folks, we have begun our descent into Albany, New York, where current weather conditions are partly cloudy skies. We will be in the gate in about twenty minutes. We'd like the flight attendants to prepare the cabin for arrival, and we want to thank you for flying with us today…"_

She tuned out the words of the pilot as she stared out the window. Since moving up on the totem pole at work, frequent flights had become a staple that she was forced to adapt to rather quickly. Not that she was complaining, as travelling from city to city — and between countries for the more important business meetings— allowed her to experience the culture of the various places she visited, albeit briefly.

As the plane slowly taxied towards the gate she began regretting the decision to book her flight at the last minute. The only seats available two nights ago on her connecting flight from Iowa were at the back of the plane and she already had limited time on her hands from having to jump on one plane from Chicago to Iowa, and another from Iowa to New York. She just wished she had followed Sophia and booked her flight and hotel room the day after their boss notified them of the upcoming meeting. The hotel she got lucky with, but her current predicament meant that she would be the one of the last persons to disembark the plane. Thinking of the inevitably long line of persons currently waiting in customs had the twenty- six year old rubbing her temples, willing away the oncoming headache.

Nearly twenty- five minutes later, after plastering on the most pleasant smile she could muster as she bid the flight crew goodbye, Cassidy Logan made her way towards Customs and Border Protection.

" _Wow. Must be nice to work in an airport."_ Cassidy thought to herself, taking in the paintings and other artwork that clothed the expansive room, bringing the semi- dull walls to life. Looking around and spotting Kiosks stationed along the far left hand corner of the room had the young woman creating a mental reminder to make use of one the next time she had to travel.

"I guess not," Cassidy mumbled in reference to her previous thought, as the loud sound of a wailing child brought her out of her reverie.

After standing and following the direction of the line for two hours and dealing with an overly inquisitive customs officer for an additional fifteen minutes, she quickly made her way around the baggage area in search of Carousel 3. By now the carousel had stopped and was empty of all suitcases, meaning it had been ages since her plane landed. Struggling with a heavy purse on one shoulder and an even heavier laptop case on the other, she walked towards the only suitcase in the immediate area. Recognizing the familiar bag, she located and headed for the car rental counter with the black Samsonite in tow and collected the necessary documents for her rental.

Strutting across the parking garage, a fleeting thought crossed her mind. The suitcase felt a bit heavier than she remembered it being.

"Objects do move around in transit," she surmised at the same time she located the vehicle. In record time she loaded her possessions into the royal blue 2015 Hyundai Genesis and sped off in the direction of her hotel.

* * *

Adjusting his cap, the Iowa native kept his eyes trained on the floor of the baggage area of the Albany International Airport. The WWE was hosting Monday Night RAW at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York, after being in England for a week; a long, arduous week, filled with numerous media appearances all in the name of promoting the company's events. He would have loved to have spent the time abroad sight-seeing, but the fast paced nature of the business rarely allowed its members such luxuries. Many would scoff if he told them he spent eight- tenths of his time in England awake— doing appearances, meeting fans, working out at the gym or at the arena preparing for a match. Regardless of how gruesome his days got he wouldn't give it up for anything. After ten years of wrestling — fighting in gruelling matches just to make a name for himself on the independent scene and finally making it to the WWE— he was at the pinnacle of the sports entertainment industry as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Not many were afforded the opportunities that he was, hence he wasn't about to start taking his spot in the prestigious company for granted.

Colby glanced at the his watch which showed him that it was almost one in the afternoon, then retrieved his phone from the back pocket of his denim jeans and began making a phone call.

"Hey, where you at?"

"I'm out front. Hurry up, man, I ain't got all day."

Stepping through the revolving doors of the airport, the sunlight that struck his face was the slap he needed to fully awaken his senses; he had been feeling groggy all morning. Scanning the immediate area he spotted the bulk of muscle leaning against a black SUV, trying his hardest to look inconspicuous. The sight was comical, really. The man slowly straightened up as Colby approached the vehicle.

"What the hell Fabio?", Colby questioned with a smirk as he made his way towards the rear of the SUV.

"Is there a problem?"

"Why do you even bother tryna hide, bro? Might as well you just stood there waiting in your ring gear. You're so damn obvious man," Colby chuckled as he looked Joe Anoa'i in the face.

"Whatever," Joe said with a smile as he playfully shoved the younger man before both entered the vehicle and made their way towards the hotel.

Chucking his phone on the nightstand to his right, Colby sprawled out on the silky smooth white sheets of his hotel bed. Staring at the intricate pattern of swirls on the ceiling, he soon became lost in his thoughts, thinking back on the moments in his life that led up where he was today. Memories of his friends back home came to mind, wrestling his brother in their backyard years ago, his parents, his girl—.

"Nope. Not goin' there today." Colby chastised himself, heading towards the bags resting haphazardly by the room door. Dumping the unusually light suitcase at the foot of the bed he began to feel for its zipper. Throwing back the top cover with more force than necessary, Colby stopped in his tracks. He didn't remember stuffing Leighla's satin green clutch in his bag. Putting it aside he made a mental note to return it as soon as possible and continued looking for a T-shirt and basketball shorts. The more he rummaged through the bag the more he came to the conclusion that none of its contents belonged to him, nor did they belong to Leighla, but judging from the blue lace bra and girly headbands inside it definitely belonged to another woman.

His speculations were confirmed when he reached for the paper tag near the handle which showed that the owner of the bag was a Cassidy Logan. Running his hand through his two toned hair, Colby sat there contemplating his next move when a knock sounded on the door.

"You ready?" Looking up from his phone Joe spotted Colby in the same clothes he stepped off the plane in, a frown forming on his face. "I know you ain't goin' to the gym dressed like that."

Choosing that moment to let out a sigh, Colby confessed, "I have nothing to wear."

"Listen Colby Kardashian we don't have time for this, you're either coming or staying. Which is it?" Jonathan Good pushed past Joe and stepped into the room making his presence known. After listening to their friend's plight, Jon retreated to his hotel suite and returned with some clothes which Colby hastily put on. As the trio made their way to the hotel's gym, Colby followed a short distance behind, on the phone with the airline as he tried to rectify the situation before leaving for the next city.

* * *

"It's open!" Cassidy shouted in the direction of the room door. A curvy brunette stepped inside, stopped and perused her surroundings. Bathed in varying tones of brown and beige, the room had a serene feeling to it, with the plush, blood- red comforter on the bed giving the space a slight pop of colour.

"Nice room you got, considering you waited 'til the last minute to book it."

"Not why I called you in here. I —" Sophie cut Cassidy off before she could continue.

"I can turn around and head back to my room if you want," Sophia arched her eyebrows and motioned towards the door with her thumb.

Hurdling over the mess at her feet, Cassie leaped onto her best friend.

"Babe, no! I need you! I just woke up and said I would get ready for tomorrow and when I opened the suitcase I looked and nothing in it's mine!"

Gently unwinding Cassie's arms from around her, Sophia daintily stepped over the mess, sights aimed on the empty suitcase on the floor.

The hysterical girl began pacing the room, "To be honest, I don't know where to start. I mean the meeting's tomorrow morning—".

"It belongs to a guy, I guess," she concluded based on the male dress shirts nearby, although the number of skinny jeans had her feeling unsure. Closing the bag she located the name tag on the handle. "Colby Lopez." She stated before turning her attention to the woman leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. "Lemme deal with this. Just look online for some nearby stores. We're goin' out to find you some clothes for tomorrow."

After a lengthy talk with an airline representative who confirmed that another passenger had indeed taken her friend's luggage by mistake and suggested that the exchange could be made at the airport as early as the next morning, the pair drove the short distance to Crossgates Mall just after sunset.

* * *

The end of Chapter 1. Please don't hesitate to let me in on your thoughts!


	2. Chapter 2

**T** **hanks to all those that reviewed. It means a lot that you're enjoying the story so far. I apologize if the previous and the next few chapters appear to be one big, jumbled mess. I mentioned before that I'm new to writing fanfiction, so I've yet to fully get the hang of things. To all the experts reading this, please don't hesitate to offer any advice.**

 **Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, thus I ask that you treat it as such. All recognizable names do not belong to me. The unrecognizable names and plot however are solely mine.**

* * *

Chapter 2

Colby headed towards the row of chairs stationed along the glass wall of the airport's departure area. Dressed in the clothes he wore yesterday— his favourite grey Glamour Kills T- shirt, denim jeans and a pair of black Converse— with his hair away from his face in a sleek ponytail he stared unabashedly at the patrons in the wide, sun- lit room. Being in such a public place he usually avoided eye contact with others to lessen the chance of him being spotted by a fan, but he was at the far end of the room, away from the chaos of persons scrambling to check in on their flights.

Quickly becoming bored with the quietness of his immediate surroundings he popped in his earbuds and pressed Shuffle on his phone. Scrolling through his twitter feed he randomly hit the retweet icon when fans mentioned buying his merchandise or supporting him at the SmackDown taping that night. The rhythmic tapping of high heels approaching the almost desolate area where he sat cut through the diminishing guitar chords of Distaste by The Story So Far. Pausing the music, his eyes moved in the direction of the sound which emanated from a pair of leopard print heels heading in the direction of the counter where he returned the stolen luggage, directly across the room from his vantage point. His eyes landed on a pair of shapely calves with the right amount of musculature he liked to see on a female, curvaceous hips and generous backside sheathed in a form fitting pink skirt which ended a little below the knees, and a snug, black turtleneck blouse. She was obviously dressed for work.

" _Damn."_ Was the only thought that came to mind as the young man waited on the glorious moment that the stunning figure would turn around. Listening intently to the conversation between the female and the male representative behind the counter, he was able to pick out a few bits and pieces.

"Good morning… luggage I accidentally… called yesterday…"

"Yes ma'am… some identification… Have a seat please."

So _this_ was the suitcase stealer! " _Cassandra….no, Cassidy._ " was the name he recalled being printed on the tag. "Cassidy Logan." he said softly to himself.

As if she heard him utter her name her eyes immediately landed on the slender man sitting across the room. Leaving the bag with the representative the young woman strolled towards the row of seats, eyes trained on the grey steel seat two seats away from Colby. He heard her engage in conversation with someone over the phone, and from the side of the conversation he was privy to, he presumed the person on the other end was telling the woman to hurry up and finish this business at the airport. Not wanting to eavesdrop any further he resumed listening to his music.

A few moments later his musings were interrupted by a feather- light touch.

"Excuse me, good morning." She said with a timid smile and a hint of professionalism in her voice, "Are you Colby Lopez?"

"Yes. And you're Cassidy…"

"Logan. Nice to meet you." She interjected, extending her hand for a handshake which he readily accepted.

She internally basked at the feeling of his husky voice caressing her ears and the firmness with which he gripped her hand, both resulting in a prickly sensation taking up residence on her exposed skin.

Discreetly, she took in his outward appearance: black hair neatly secured in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, lightly tanned skin, thick eyebrows hovering above big brown orbs, a well-groomed beard and moustache he obviously took pride in, and thin pink lips. Cassie wasn't gonna lie to herself and regard him as unattractive, cause that damn well wasn't the case. He was ruggedly handsome, but she wasn't about to let him know.

Colby also took the time to take in the woman's frontal features. Dark brown hair hung in soft waves just above her shoulder, wide brown eyes framed by thick eyelashes, a broad but cute nose and full lips to which she applied a light shade of pink lipstick. All these features accentuated her warm, brown, oval shaped face.

"Same here. So did you enjoy your time as a criminal? I mean, you _did_ steal my suitcase."

"Oh really now? And how come you're so sure it wasn't the other way around?" Colby retorted with the same amount of humour in his voice.

Laughing, Cassidy continued "No, no. I was one of the last persons to get off the plane, so naturally by the time I got to the carousel my bag — sorry, _your bag_ was the only one there. Our bags look the same and so I saw it, assumed it was mine and left."

"Imagine my surprise when I opened 'my' suitcase and couldn't find anything that belonged to me. I almost went crazy." Colby admitted, unnecessarily smoothing his hair back. Cassie nodded understandingly, having experienced similar feelings last night. The pair exchanged quick apologies and moved on to other topics, finding that the conversation between them flowed much more freely than they expected it to. Checking her simple wristwatch, Cassie jumped from her seat.

"Christ!"

A fretting Colby sprang into action "Are you okay? Did I say something wrong?"

"You're okay. It's just that I have a meeting to get to and it's all the way across town," turning her attention to the counter she added, "and we've been sitting here for almost half an hour and they're not back with the bags. Excuse me."

Colby watched Cassidy strut towards the empty counter and helplessly admired the way in which she did so. She had the gait and proper posture of a model, but he had a feeling that that wasn't her profession. He made it to the counter in time just to see her stepping behind it.

He touched her arm gently, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going for my luggage. You comin'?"

He stammered before replying "I doubt we're allowed back there."

"Well then, _you_ can stay here while _I_ go get my bag." She offered reassuringly before stepping away and heading towards the door she saw the airline representative magically disappear through earlier. A figure appeared in the threshold, blocking her entry. Looking up, it was the man from earlier.

"Miss will you please take a seat. We're not finished processing—"

"Excuse me? It's only two bags that were taken up by accident! What exactly is there to process?"

"Miss, we have strict guidelines to follow in regards—"

"And that's great." She cut in "But I've been sitting here for thirty minutes and have yet to receive my things." Pointing to herself Cassidy added, "Sir I have a job to get to and I'm here right now with you wasting valuable time. Believe me, I like to get paid as much as the next person; something I'm sure you understand, considering how early you're here working."

The representative paused momentarily, then sighed in defeat, "Okay, I'll be back shortly with the release forms which both of you need to sign." He said, glancing over her shoulder at Colby. "Excuse me."

Colby, who stood back quietly watching the scene unfold let out a chuckle.

"Here I was, thinking she enjoyed my presence when she really just couldn't wait to get away from me."

Apologetically, Cassidy turned to face him, "I'm sorry if I made you think that but I really do have to get going."

At the same time Eve's "Tambourine" began playing. After fishing around in her black Chanel tote she removed the ringing phone.

"Hello?"

"Where are you? You're on your way, right?"

"Um, not exactly. I'm still at the airport."

"WHAT! Aren't you aware that you're due to present in an hour? You know the conference is all the way across town and the traffic to get here from the airport is _extremely_ ridiculous—"

"Sophie, look, just calm down. I'll probably get there a bit late but until then I'm gonna need you to do me a favour."

"What now?" Sophie whined.

"If they're calling for me just tell them to go take a break or something, please." Cassidy pleaded.

"You're talking as if these grown people are friggin' kindergarteners! Fine! I'll do it, but you better hope it doesn't come down to that or so help me God–"

"Thanks babe!" she exclaimed as she ended the call, whilst signing the release papers the guy recently emerged with.

* * *

As the two headed for the parking lot with their respective bags in tow, Cassidy dialled an all too familiar number. The person picked up on the second ring.

"Lieutenant Commander Newman."

"Pete, it's Cassie. I need you to do me a huge favour. I need an escort."

That stopped the detective in his tracks "An escort? At ten- forty in the morning?" He asked incredulously. "I didn't know those people were on the grind _this_ early."

A blush covered her cheeks at the change in direction of her thoughts. "No you idiot. I'm stuck at the Albany International Airport and I have a meeting all the way across town and I won't get there in time if I drive there myself. I was kinda hoping you could help me out."

"Sure. Where exactly are you?"

"In the parking lot by the main exit. You know, near the taxi stand."

She ended the call as the Lieutenant told her he'd be there in five minutes. She would have forgotten the man walking alongside her had he not chosen that moment to ask her where she was parked.

"Not too far from here. Three more cars down."

They stopped at her rental as she went to pop the trunk and stow the weighty suitcase inside.

"Give it here. I'll handle it." Colby commanded, effortlessly tossing it inside. She expressed her gratitude and went to unlock the driver's side.

"So where are you parked?" she inquired, looking up at him from her position in the driver's seat. Fully taking him in, she began to admire his sense of style also.

"I'm parked right in front of you." Following his gaze, hers landed on a shiny, black Escalade.

"Cadillac. Nice." She leaned over and began pulling papers and leather folders off the back seat.

Colby was impressed. "You know cars."

"I know enough." She replied with a smirk.

He noted the stack of folders she rested on the roof of her car. "You heading to work?"

"Yeah, just waiting for my drive. I'm heading all the way across town and I'm already late, hence why I had to call for backup earlier. I like your shirt by the way, though I have no clue what it's saying."

"Thanks. It's actually saying 'Glamour Kills'." He said pointing to the printed letters, then continued, "That's the name of the brand. I like your outfit too. Looks very… professional."

"Thanks." Cassidy paused and turned in the direction of the approaching sirens. "I hear my ride coming. Nice meeting you Colby. It was nice talking rock bands with you."

"I liked it too. Not many people out there are aware that good rock music exists. We're like the chosen few." He moved to embrace her in a hug which she accepted.

Colby blurted out the next few words without thinking, "Are you on Twitter?"

She replied in the affirmative and switched phones, typing in their respective handles and switched again, just as a grey Camaro stopped in the middle of the driveway from which a tall, medium- built guy emerged.

"Hey. How you doin'?" the plainclothes naval officer asked as he planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Great. I'm riding with you so I'll come back for my car later."

The Lieutenant stepped around the woman, stopping before Colby.

"And you are?"

"Colby Lopez." Colby replied firmly, sensing a challenge.

The officer paused, and then gestured towards Cassie with a slight nod of his head in her direction, "And you know her how?"

Cassie spoke up authoritatively, "Pete, knock it off. We're leaving. Now."

Remembering his true purpose he raised his hands, backing away from Colby.

"I'm sorry about him." She apologized, looking to the ground.

"Nah, it's okay. See you on Twitter?"

"Definitely." She walked away waving, and entered the car just as the sirens came to life.

Colby stood there, watching the car become smaller with each passing second, slowly becoming one with the scenic April morning.

* * *

Chapter 2! Again, please review. I look forward to them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, thus I ask that you treat it as such. All recognizable names do not belong to me. The unrecognizable names and plot however are solely mine.**

* * *

Chapter 3

Mingling with corporate executives, discussing trends in the market, or just trading witty batter along with wide smiles, she could say that it'd been a great evening so far. She'd been on her feet for most of the day though and could really use a break: from the airport in the morning, to her presentation which began around noon and lasted five hours, and currently at this dinner, where all the major players in the technological industry seemed to converge. Using the excuse of needing a drink from the bar, she ended the conversation with Bill Oswald, a member of the Innovation and Technology Committee at AMD, the world's second largest producer of computer processors. Undoubtedly, she would have loved to continue discussing his company's newest innovations, but the seductive stare he kept sending her way had her feeling too uncomfortable to do anything but look over his shoulder as they conversed. His wife was by his side throughout the entire conversation, and it's either she didn't notice it or they were into that kind of thing, which thankfully, Cassidy wanted no part of.

Sights aimed on the bar at the far end of the room, she was startled when she was pulled in the opposite direction, into someone's waiting arms.

"Well, don't you just look ravishing tonight?"

"I do try my best," she replied, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear and smoothing out the invisible wrinkles on her one- sleeved green dress "and when I give it my all it's either I go hard or go home."

He let out a hearty chuckle, "That's the motto, isn't it?"

"Sir, yes sir." She said, mock saluting him. Changing the subject, she continued, "Haven't seen you around the office in a while. Where've you been?"

"You're lying! You haven't seen all this," motioning to himself, "making the rounds in Chicago? The ladies say it's kinda hard to miss the salt and pepper hair, alabaster skin and these washboard abs." He finished, hands coming to rest on his enormous beer belly.

She doubled over in laughter, "I'm sure they do."

"Most of these days I'm working from home, spending time with the family."

"That's amazing to hear. I agree, you have to slow down sometimes. It does get quite hectic in the office. So how are they, the family?"

Resting his hand on her lower back, he steered them towards the bar.

"You know, same ol', same ol'. Nothin' new to report. Oh wait, there is. Lianne and I aren't exactly on speaking terms. Little Louis lost a tooth. The _hard_ way."

She gestured with her hands for him to continue, "Lianne brought the kids over to spend some time with the old girl and I, and Louis jumped right of the jungle gym in the backyard and landed on his face. So naturally, Annie and her mother put the blame on me."

"Jared!" she chided "You should have been watching him!"

"Not you too! I didn't tell him to jump off of anything. I had my back turned when it happened." Jared finished, exasperatedly throwing his hands in the air.

"And that right there was your first mistake. Shame on you, you should know better grandpa." Smiling, she switched gears. "So what about Robert?"

Jared's expression instantly brightened, eager to pawn his son off on the beautiful woman.

"He's doing great, my dear. Business is booming. He's at the prime of his career and I've never felt more proud."

"Wow. It's very hard to start your own business, given the unforgiving state of the economy and whatnot. I'm impressed." Cassidy added, accepting the flute of champagne from Jared.

"Is this what everyone agreed on? No drinks for me?"

She set the flute on the counter and embraced her former mentor with a blinding smile. "I'm sure we can find you some orange juice. Isn't that right, Jared?" She raised her left arm to get the bartender's attention when the newcomer quickly replaced it at her side.

"If there's one thing I don't miss, it's your poor excuse of a sense of humour." Looking over at his brother, he continued, "I sensed you two were discussing me."

Jared quickly shut him down, "No, Winfred. We were discussing Robert actually. And there he is, the man of the hour."

Cassidy quickly appraised Robert, who stood before her. His lanky build, tanned skin, dishevelled hair, black tailored suit and the blue eyes he inherited from his father all contributed to the all- American white boy vibe that seemed to continuously ooze from his pores.

"It's been too long Cassidy." Robert removed the lady's hand from his uncle's, raising it to his lips for a kiss, simultaneously levelling her with a flirtatious gaze. She politely returned the sentiment, internally cringing from her spot in Winfred's arms, who suddenly volunteered her to dance with his nephew. It was an inside joke that Cassidy was the butt of: she returned none of the romantic feelings the entrepreneur had for her, but every opportunity that presented itself she found that she was always being pushed in his direction. While she viewed him as her 'father' when in the office, there were times when Winfred, the instigator of the joke, played the role of an annoying relative that loved to watch her squirm. Cassidy reluctantly followed Robert onto the dance floor, joining the others swaying to the soft, classical music.

* * *

Cassidy sluggishly chucked the offending shoes in the far corner of Sophia's hotel room, rubbing away the aches and pains in her feet. The best friends, not having spent much time together on the trip decided on some one on one time with each other and two tubs of Häagen- Dazs. She dropped herself on the chaise by the window; the thick drapes pulled aside, the blinking lights of the city's skyline providing a nice backdrop for the hotel room.

She scrolled through her twitter feed, retweeting and quoting a couple things, and though she wouldn't admit it she did some light stalking. The things people posted about their lives on the internet never ceased to amaze her, especially the persons who should be doing everything to keep themselves away from the spotlight. Take, for example a high profile Illinois judge. _Everyone_ and their cousin knew she was banging a hot piece of man meat for the last two years. It wasn't mainly due to carelessness on the married, fifty-something judge's part, though she did deserve to shoulder the majority of the blame as Cassie believed she shouldn't be engaging in such activities, and the fact that the neglected to properly set her lover straight from day one. Cassidy had a feeling it was Sophia who followed the guy using her account, and currently the lover boy was showing off with his recent trip to Abu Dhabi through pictures. These pictures, the young woman believed, would make everything sweeter when shit finally hit the fan.

Looking at Sophia's suitcase at the bedside had her thinking of her own suitcase and her interaction with the guy at the airport. She checked her Twitter notifications and found her most recent follower.

The guy in the picture she recognized, but the name and handle were very unfamiliar.

 _Seth Rollins ( WWERollins)_

 _The WWE World Heavyweight Champion_

After seeing his biography and first few pictures, she drew two conclusions: one, he had some sort of alter ego, and two, he was a fitness enthusiast. At least they had one thing in common. Cassidy loved to get in a good workout at the gym and believed that a healthy body gave way to a healthy mind and soul. Deciding not to prolong the inevitable, she checked her direct messages. Disappointed, she put the phone aside, not seeing any messages from Colby.

"I guess he's just busy," she surmised, running her hands through her thick tresses.

A fresh- faced Sophie emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a fluffy white robe, complements of the hotel.

"Who you talkin' to? Robert? Hey Robert!"

"I'm not talkin to anyone, least of all him."

"I'd say otherwise, judging from how comfy you looked in his arms earlier."

"Girl please. When you showed up you literally saved me from the guy. He has _no_ idea how to engage in simple conversation."

"Maybe not verbally. He does look like a wild thing in the bedroom though." Sophia wagged her eyebrows at her friend.

Expressing her disgust, Cassidy grabbed her toiletries and speedily entered the bathroom before Sophie could hurl more suggestive comments about Robert her way.

* * *

Resisting the urge to spit out the insipid tea she purchased along with breakfast, Cassidy set the brown cup on the table in the departure lounge, perching her sunglasses on her crown. Enjoying every sip of her coffee however was Sophie, who commented on her friend's appearance.

"You look like you didn't get too much sleep last night."

"Thanks Sherlock. Your bed buddy ever tell you that you sleep like you fightin' in war or somethin'?"

Sophia immediately felt bad, casting her eyes on the table "Sorry."

"Nah, it's ok. You're my main, so I'd never trade you for countless hours of sleep." Cassie had to blink a few times as she stared at the ring on the woman's left hand, the sunlight streaming in from the airport windows bounced off the multifaceted diamond, causing temporary blindness. "So how's the wedding planning?"

Taking great interest in her nails she replied, "I haven't started yet."

"So what are you waiting for? Are you not sure? You _do_ want this, right?"

"Don't get me wrong, I do, " Sophie smiled at her use of the famous phrase, "but I just don't have as much off time as I'd like to get the ball rolling. I barely spend enough time with Jackson as it is, and I'm always travelling— speaking of, how did it go at the airport yesterday?"

"Great!" Cassie brightened, remembering her encounter with the guy yesterday.

" _Uh – oh,_ " she thought as she saw the expression on Sophie's face change from timid and defensive to intensely curious.

"Is that so? Tell me more." Sophia drawled.

"We met at the airport, switched bags and left." Sophia called bullshit before Cassidy properly finished the statement. Luckily, the announcing of the flight's arrival saved Cassidy from having to go into further detail on what actually transpired the previous day.

* * *

After the conclusion of the SmackDown taping, Colby Lopez walked around the backstage area, feeling physically brutalized: Roman Reigns' spear had the ability to turn any opponent inside out, which was exactly what happened a few minutes prior. Limping his way to his locker room Colby was stopped by many colleagues congratulating him on another stellar performance, although he lost. He and Luke Harper had put themselves through the ringer tonight against Joe and Jon, and nothing sounded better than being able to take a shower, unwind and catch up on some sleep before the next show.

Stripping out of his skin- tight spandex ring gear and stepping into the shower, Colby stood under the intense spray of hot water from the shower head, watching the water criss- cross over his defined pectoral muscles. Finished with the shower, he dressed and messily packed his bags, eager to depart from the arena. A knock sounded on the door. Joe stuck his head through the crack in the frame, eyes closed.

"Hey man, you decent?"

"Why don't you see for yourself? I know you dying to get a piece o' this." The champion answered, referring to himself.

"Don't flatter yourself, Galina keeps me _very_ satisfied." Joe entered the room. "Just came to check up on you. I know that spear had to hurt, considering you're already feeble and all."

"I think that hat you got on is a bit too tight. Need me to remind you how I got that bad boy?" Colby retorted, pointing to his championship belt resting on his other bag.

Joe chuckled, slapping his friend on the shoulder, "Nah man, I'm good. See you later."

The Samoan left after Colby bid him goodbye, leaving the man to refocus his attention on his suitcase. Looking at the bag, thoughts of Cassie immediately surfaced.

"Man, I gotta send her a DM or somethin'." Reaching for his phone, the door opened again. Jamie Noble being the intruder this time.

"Hey Seth you ready? Cause we just about to head out now."

"Yeah I'm done here. Let's go."

On his way to the back door of the arena he bumped fists with Randy Orton and the Big Show, and bade his lingering co-workers good night, all thoughts of the brown- haired beauty he met at the airport temporarily forgotten.

* * *

Loving the positive reviews so far! Keep them coming.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks so much to all of you that reviewed. Seeing those remarks makes me anxious to write another chapter, even when I can't think of something creative to put into words. I apologize for the long wait for this chapter; I've been finishing up exams and whatnot. Thankfully they're over and I'm here now so the updates should be coming more frequently. To all the persons still reading this, please enjoy.

 **Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, thus I ask that you treat it as such. All recognizable names do not belong to me. The unrecognizable names and plot however are solely mine.**

* * *

Chapter 4

The Tuesday afternoon sun silently streamed through the transparent pane, separating her office from the rest of the bustling Downtown Chicago area. Bypassing the window, slicing through the crisp atmosphere, the rays landed on the maple wood surface, its shine and lemon Pledge scent courtesy of Martha, the janitor. She vehemently resisted the temptation to rest her head on the fragrant surface as she had done numerous times since stepping in that morning. As cheery as she was with those in her department and those that weren't, she considered it unprofessional for one to be seen dozing away on the job. It was an instant turn- off, so as the Chief Technological Officer and the head of her department, it was her duty to set the example for those on her floor.

In no time, the burn became unbearable. The heat had begun to build up in her hair, causing her to feel warm. This always happened around lunch time, so her next few actions were like clockwork: she scooted back in the swivel chair, got up, turned the blinds a little, allowing sunlight to penetrate the room in thin stripes then finally returned to her seat. Her glance flitted to the stack of manila folders on the edge of the desk; papers jutting out in every direction from the one on top of the pile. Darting her eyes to the clock on the screen, it read fifteen past twelve.

" _Prepping for the presentation last week was way easier than this_." She thought, striking through a sentence on the sheet before her before subconsciously tracing her eyebrows with the pencil, a force of habit.

At the moment she was summarizing the latest finds by her department in regards to the design of the company's next product. Cassie needed to have all this information together before the day's end to pass it on to the bigger heads in order to keep the progress of the project on track to meet the November deadline. The document before her was doused with grammatical errors and heavily laced with ambiguity.

She wouldn't even describe it as mediocre.

Identifying the author of the piece she shook her head, irritably chucking the folder on top the mountain and pushed away from the desk. The chair came to rest as soon as the planted her feet on the tiled floor. Visualizing an office in which all projects came together seamlessly, deadlines were met and every worker did as told, the shrill cry of the only cell phone in the room brought her back to reality. Slowly propelling the chair to its usual position she reached for the phone in the front pocket of the bag. Judging from the short- lived chime, it was a text message.

 _Lunch?_

 _Yh. Regular place. Dnt b late cuz I won't hesitate to start eating without ur ass ~Cassie_

 _Someone's hungry. Srry bt u cnt have me. Im nt on today's menu. L8r._

Deeply inhaling the crisp air, she became calm enough to resume working on the file. Before long, the only sound in the room was the rapid clicking of the keyboard keys.

"…and with the increasing popularity of platforms like Twitter…"

That one word interrupted her flow.

She met an intriguing man last Tuesday and parted ways with the intention to keep in touch through Twitter, and after looking for any sort of contact from him with each passing day, on Friday she resolved to stop looking for his name in her inbox. Electing to take a well-deserved break, she launched her Twitter feed. Tuesday was obviously a slow day, due to the lack of interesting posts she saw given the time of day. Looking at her inbox, she was able to smile. He sent a message. On Sunday. Two whole days ago.

 _Seth Rollins ( WWERollins)— Hi Cassidy. It's Colby. We met on Tuesday at the airport._

 _Juke ( Cassie)— I remember. How are you?_

Feeling invincible, the woman threw herself into the task with renewed vigour; amazed at the number of foolish errors she was able to make sense of. The phone chimed with a short, unfamiliar sound.

 _Seth Rollins ( WWERollins)—I'm good. Just out n about. How about you?_

 _Juke ( Cassie)—Same here. Sorry I took so long to reply. Wasn't on all weekend._

 _Seth Rollins ( WWERollins)—Sorry for taking so long 2 contact you. Work is hell right now._

 _Jukebox ( Cassie)—It's ok. It's hell 4 me 2. No amount of money or time could prepare me 4 the stuff I deal with._

 _Seth Rollins ( WWERollins)—_ _Sure it's not that bad._

They went back and forth on different ways to protest against the unfair treatment she was subject to at the hands the sluggish members of her department, all of which didn't hesitate to cause her to laugh. In the middle of reading another of Colby's responses, Sophia entered.

"Yes, I know, I'm a wonderful person." Was Sophia's take on the smile taking over Cassie's face.

"Imma cut you down to size one of these days. Your ego's getting too big for my office."

"I think it's the perfect size." Settling into one of the chairs before the desk, she continued, "Speaking of big egos, girl, last night Jackson—"

"I know where this is going. I don't wanna hear it."

Smirking, Sophia busied herself with the cup of pens and pencils, "Wasn't going to share anyways. Watchu smiling 'bout? Somethin' nasty?

After ending the conversation with Colby she voiced concerns about choosing Sophie as a friend in a world full of millions. Knowing what the woman really wanted to hear, Cassidy willingly confessed the identity of her texting partner. Sensing a witty comment, the executive hurried packed her purse and left the office with the promise of continuing the conversation over lunch, a gossip- hungry Sophia hot on her heels.

* * *

The afternoon rush in Delights, a little hole- in- the- wall restaurant in the city slowly subsided as workers moved like ants in the direction of their jobs. A few others, like the ladies near the counter moved languidly, perhaps allowing their meals to settle. Realizing Cassie's stare going over her shoulder, she followed her gaze to the collage near the closed entrance. The artwork deserved praise no doubt: it was a creatively designed piece, but they dined there on previous occasions so it was nothing new to them. So why was Cassie staring at it as if she had discovered something new in the image? Turning to her right she met Sophia's eyes.

" _I don't know."_ Sophia mouthed with a shake of the head, wisps of brown hair dancing around.

Jingling bracelets and the snapping of fingers refocused Cassidy's attention on the ladies in the booth, the owner of said fingers seeming perturbed by the lack of attention she was shown earlier.

"Hmm?"

"You good?"

"Yeah Lauren. Just thinking."

Swirling the purple carbonated beverage with her straw, watching the condensation trickle down the sides of the glass cup, Lauren looked to Cassidy with a smirk etched on her face.

"Bout who? Robert?"

Spotting a used paper napkin in her periphery, she balled it up and chucked it in Lauren's direction, preparing to remind her that she and the man in question weren't and would never be in a relationship; but as expected Sophia interrupted, always having to add her two cents.

"Girl where you been? Robert's old news. My girl got a new man in her life." Sophia piped up and high fived Lauren, ignoring Cassie's murderous glare.

"Yeah girl, go get you some." Lauren applauded, shimmying her shoulders. "Can't believe you kept this from me."

"I can't believe you'd listen to Sophia. You know she has a terrible habit of over exaggerating."

"Everyone knows that true, but is she lying?", Lauren challenged.

Cassidy gave Lauren the shortened version of last week's events and finished dismissively, "He's just an acquaintance, not even a friend. I don't plan on us playing tonsil hockey anytime soon."

"We'll see." Sophia replied in a singsong voice the same time Lauren muttered, "You might end up playin' somethin' else though."

Unable to resist the urge, she gave the duo a broad smile. "Lauren, go back to your boutique and leave me alone. Soph, let's head back."

Exchanging hugs, kisses and a few more laughs the two co-workers separated from Lauren, driving in the direction of the cluster of skyscrapers lining the Chicago River.

* * *

Plopping down in the couch, he fumbled for the remote. After a day of trekking around Iowa doing two radio interviews, going to the gym and making it through another Smackdown taping, with a tired brain and aching muscles he returned home and found he had a pile of dirty clothes to combat with. Fearing the build-up of the stench of gym clothes in his apartment he mustered the courage and quickly took care of his laundry.

Flipping through the expansive selection of channels, his search for a captivating programme came up empty. Cocking his head to the side he thought of watching something on the WWE Network, but thought better of it. He needed a reprieve. As much as he loved wrestling, he spent too much of his time physically and mentally involved in the sport for him to watch it during his time off. He settled for a mundane late night talk show. It didn't take long before his mind wandered off in a million other directions, one of them went by the name of Cassidy Logan. So far, based on the one wit- laced conversation they shared, her interactions with her followers and the silly memories of her and her friends she posted on the site, Colby surmised that she had a very interesting character. These factors had him thinking they could form an easy going friendship. Reaching for his main means of contacting the young lady, he decided to check if she was available.

 _Seth Rollins ( WWERollins)— Hi._

 _Juke ( Cassie)— Lopez! Watchu up 2?_

 _Seth Rollins ( WWERollins)— Someone's happy 2 see me in their DMs :)._

 _Juke ( Cassie)—Lol. You better believe it. Can't have you dying on me now._

 _Seth Rollins ( WWERollins)—Aww. I'm special. Thanks 4 making me feel loved._

 _Seth Rollins ( WWERollins)—Btw, juke? What's the deal with that? Does it have a special meaning?_

 _Juke ( Cassie)—Not really, just a nickname from my friends. It's short for jukebox._

 _Seth Rollins ( WWERollins)—Jukebox? Care 2 explain?_

 _Juke ( Cassie)—When someone around me says something that reminds me of a song, I start singing that particular song. Strange right?_

 _Seth Rollins ( WWERollins)— Nope. Not at all. Can we try it?_

 _Juke ( Cassie)—Sorry Lopez. Only works in person. Btw, Seth Rollins? Wanna explain that?_

 _Seth Rollins ( WWERollins)— Just the name of a character I play on tv._

 _Juke ( Cassie)—So you're an actor? That's cool. What's it like?_

 _Seth Rollins ( WWERollins)— Actor of sorts. I'm a professional wrestler._

 _Juke ( Cassie)—Like in a league?_

 _Seth Rollins ( WWERollins)—League? No, I work for the WWE._

 _Juke ( Cassie)—Ok, I literally have no idea what you're talking about. I'm blank right now._

 _Seth Rollins ( WWERollins)—I could explain it 2 you, but it's gonna be hard with only 140 characters. Wanna give me your #?_

After five minutes which he would more accurately describe as an eternity, Colby finally saw a phone number appear in his inbox. Wasting no time he dialled the number. Someone picked up on the third ring. A familiar voice breathed into his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey Cassie, it's Lopez." He supplied, mentally berating himself for sounding like an idiot.

"Hey Colb— ugh!", she grunted and breathed heavily.

"You alright over there?" Colby inquired and later found out that she was struggling to open a bag of peanuts, after which he teased her relentlessly. Not long after Cassidy changed the subject.

He proceeded to summarize his job in the WWE and shared what like as a pro wrestler was like for him, both inside and outside the ring. Colby admired the fact that Cassie didn't interrupt him every five seconds to ask a question, but remained silent on the other end of the line, supplying small comments to let him know that she was still there listening. It made him think she was genuinely interested.

"So wrestling is just a bunch of guys parading around in underwear grappling each other to win a match?"

"Pretty much. But don't knock it till you try it, or watch, in your case."

"Please Lopez, have you seen you? I could take you any day." Cassidy laughed, challenging Colby who immediately called her bluff.

"You said it's on tv? Imma take a look one of these days."

"You should. It's on USA and Syfy." Colby finished in between yawns.

Realizing his tired state Cassie ended the conversation and he expressed his wish to speak to her again, to which he received no objections. Getting comfortable in bed with Kevin snuggling in beside him, Colby was nothing short of feeling elated as his friendship with Cassidy in his opinion continued to bloom.

* * *

Reviews are always welcome.


	5. Chapter 5

**Finally I'm back with another chapter! Again, thanks to all those that read, favourited and followed this story and special thanks to those that reviewed. Your comments are my motivation to continue writing.**

 **Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, thus I ask that you treat it as such. All recognizable names do not belong to me. The unrecognizable names and plot however are solely mine.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Hearing the faint sounds of persons passing the door, milling around in the main hallway and motorists revving engines, speedily making their way to whatever destinations they had in mind this early on a Wednesday morning; his mind and body slowly awakened, welcoming the new day. Cracking open his eyes he rubbed away the sleepy feeling that quickly dissipated the more he did so. Said eyes adjusted to the sunlight lightly filtering into the room through the sliver of space between the curtains, chasing away any remnants of darkness lurking in the nooks and crannies of his bedroom. Patting the surface of his bedside table his hands came to rest on the aluminium device. Its clock read seven forty a.m. The device chimed with a notification just as he replaced it on the table.

 _Juke ( Cassie) is currently tweeting about #SelfieWars_

Tapping the notification instantly launched his Twitter app. His eyebrows shot to his hairline and his mouth opened in response to the picture that greeted him.

 _Juke ( Cassie)—Getting ready 4 work but before I go I have to leave y'all with a lil something something._

 _ODearLauren #GameOn #SelfieWars_

Her work attire consisted of a deep V- neck, white long sleeved blouse, black beaded necklace and a matching black pencil skirt, accentuated by a pair of purple, open- toed suede heels which gave the otherwise monochrome outfit a splash of colour. She posed before a full length mirror with eyes looking down at the phone she held at chest level, eyebrows perfectly arched and a sassy smirk etched onto her face. She captured the perfect angle for the picture, with her backside jutting out far enough for her to still remain classy.

" _Holy hell! She's hot!"_ , Colby thought to himself.

After the numerous years of schooling he endured, his parents, mainly his mother would have been appalled at the way in which he summed up Cassidy's appearance. Surely he could have done better than that. His excuse? In the picture Cassidy was the epitome of beauty and of womanliness with her poise and her voluptuous frame hidden behind her clothes. His feelings for the young lady were strictly platonic and it would have been impossible for them to be anything but. After all, they had only met recently and were in the 'friends' stage of their relationship.

But she was a woman. And he was a man. A young, fit and healthy, red- blooded American man who was undoubtedly attracted to members of the opposite sex; one of which just so happened to be Cassidy Logan, hence the reason he was overly admiring this picture of her. There was nothing illegal about it.

Preparing to save the picture to his phone he stopped himself, thinking better of it. What if she found out?

Well she wouldn't know unless she took his phone and went through it, which was highly unlikely. And she posted it herself so she must have known that people do these kinds of things all the time. All the internal debate over image had him feeling like a creepy stalker. But they _were_ friends so there was nothing wrong with having a picture of his friend on his phone.

Saving the image he thought about leaving a comment, telling her she looked nice, anything. But he held back. He thought long and hard and came to the conclusion that if he commented in such a public forum it was highly likely that the WWE Universe would see and begin grilling the two of them. He was used to it, but he couldn't say the same for Cassidy and it would be unfair to subject her to any harsh criticisms that would come her way due to any affiliation with him. He resorted to sending a text message.

 _Good morning. Saw your pic on Twitter and just wanted to say that you look beautiful. Sorry for falling asleep on you last night, had a rough day. Enjoy your day today. — Colby_

Before he could rethink the decision to send the message he hit send then sat up, planting his feet on the floor. Looking over his shoulder he spotted the ball of brown fur curled up on the bed, just as his owner left him last night. Standing up, he made his way to the bathroom to begin his morning ritual.

* * *

It was approaching two in the afternoon in the quaint city of Davenport, and the sometimes scorching heat and bright skies associated with this time of day were replaced in favour of bleak skies and strong gusts of wind. Regardless, he was out on the street walking Kevin, though an outsider would perceive it differently as the man was being forcefully pulled along an imaginary zig- zag path on the sidewalk; the little Yorkie on the other end of the leash quickly darting between storefronts and every other fire hydrant lining the pavement.

Seeing the familiar stance of Mr. Reynolds, the owner of one of the more popular sandwich shops in the area, Colby decided to stop and chat up the old man. Whenever he was in town he had to stop there at least once. The food they made inside was to die for and the Italian man and his wife were always happy to see him and his little dog.

Mr. Reynolds was talking to a guy who seemed to be a deliverer so Colby stood back and waited for the two to finish up their business before approaching them.

"Mr. Reynolds, hey."

"Colby my boy! How's it goin'? You doin' well son?" The stocky, tan- skinned man greeted as he hugged him, sounding genuinely happy to see the wrestler.

"Everything's great, you know? Just enjoying my days off before I hit the road again. How's Linda? She inside?"

"Linda, she's good. Was feeling sick last week but she much better now."

Colby watched as the man kneeled down on the pavement to greet his dog. Kevin was just as happy to see Mr. Reynolds; the way the little dog rubbed himself into the man's calloused hands proved as much. Maybe he was hoping for a treat. Mr. Reynolds always liked to offer Kevin a few pieces of meat whenever Colby stopped by for a quick bite with Kevin in tow.

"So when you going back?" Mr. Reynolds questioned as he stood up, arms akimbo.

"Friday. Goin' all the way up to New York, man."

"Come then. Come inside and get something to eat.", Mr. Reynolds beckoned the man inside the restaurant. "Linda and I need to fatten you up before you leave for New York. I hear it still cold over there."

"No sir, that's fine. I promise to come by before I leave but the little guy's been begging me to take him out, so… ". Colby smiled as he turned down the invitation. Looking down he saw Kevin rubbing his furry body on the leg of old man's pants. He was really working for those few pieces of luncheon meat.

"You make sure now. What happen to Leigh? Haven't seen Leigh in a while."

That name tugged at his heartstrings, leaving a dull ache. The girl he'd been committed to for almost six years. The woman he saw himself getting married to. The girl he thought was his other half, his forever, his support system was no longer in his life and it pained him to think about it. Remembering that it had been someone else who brought up the topic of his ex- girlfriend he managed to give the abridged version of the story.

"Uh, we didn't work out." Colby scratched behind his ear, unable to make eye contact with the old man. "Around February, we realized that we didn't want the same things and decided to go our separate ways."

He looked up and met the man's gaze and didn't like what he saw there. Pity. Or maybe it wasn't pity, perhaps the man felt bad for bringing up such a sore topic. Yeah, it was probably that.

"Sorry, had no idea."

"Ah, it's okay. Well, see you around Mr. Reynolds." And with a wave Colby departed from the man's storefront, pulling Kevin along with him.

Apart from briefly acknowledging some other familiar faces with a nod of the head or sharply tugging on Kevin's leash to get him under control, Colby's mind was on autopilot for most of the remainder of the stroll around town.

That was before he saw her.

He had approached an intersection and looked up from the pavement to cross the street, when their eyes connected. He couldn't find it in himself to turn around and head in the opposite direction as she already spotted him and that would have made his feelings about her obvious. Well, he was already considered by some to be the world's biggest jackass so it couldn't get much worse than that.

Colby had no idea how, but it seemed as if this girl had some sort of radar that alerted her to his presence whenever he was in town. She always wanted to talk but he just wasn't a talkative person, with her at least. Simply put, Colby felt annoyed whenever she was around, but couldn't exactly tell her to piss off. He was raised to be a gentleman and would just have to tolerate her presence until he could find a way to let her down gently or something.

"Colby!" Jean shrieked, hugging him. "I haven't seen you in forever! How you been?"

"Eh, I'm good. Just hangin' out."

She caressed his biceps, giving him a flirty look, "I see that. Kevin!"

Jean bent down to pet the dog. Feeling manhandled, Kevin barked and growled in defence, startling the young woman who swiftly stood back up to her full height. Colby hurriedly looked away, smirking at the animal's adverse reaction to the woman. Linking her arms with Colby, the pair continued along the sidewalk, while the wrestler hoped that the area was completely devoid of photographers looking to make some quick cash by selling pictures of him and Jean to the gossip rags. The stories these sources released were sometimes downright ludicrous, and after what had transpired between him and his ex- fiancée he was determined to keep a relatively low profile.

Meanwhile, Jean tried to engage him in a conversation about hockey of all things. Colby was amazed at her ability to discuss a sport, flirt with and make a man feel uncomfortable all at once. Amazement aside, he desperately wished for some sort of sign so he could end the exchange with Jean. The sign came in the form of a water droplet landing on his arm. Looking up, another landed in the corner of his eye. Soon enough the drops increased in number with heavy pellets of water striking the concrete pavement and other surfaces, alerting everyone in the vicinity to their presence.

"It looks like it's gonna pour, so see you around." Colby ended and walked away; so thankful for the intrusion that he didn't even hear the young woman shout out a goodbye in response.

* * *

"Alright guys, that was good. You can take a breather now. Ten minutes!" Colby clapped and announced to the members of his wrestling academy. With hushed murmurs the class headed towards the corner that housed their belongings, save for one female student having an animated discussion with her head trainer, judging from the numerous hand gestures she used.

Rolling into the ring he sat up against the turnbuckle and roughly wiped his perspiring face with a towel, hanging the material across his shoulders. He looked around the room, at the training equipment, at the faces of his exhausted students shuffling out the doors and thought back on the times when he dreamed of being able to contribute something towards the industry that gave so much to him and thought it was nothing but a pipe dream. He never believed that this academy would've come to fruition so quickly, let alone while he was still this young. And there was never a moment, never a passing day where he would think of this place and not swell with pride at how he and his partners were able to transform the so- called 'far- fetched' aspirations of these everyday students into something so real and life- changing.

Pulling out his phone he responded to messages from a few friends, one of them from Joe who was checking up on him. Right there was one of the many reasons he and Joe were more than co-workers.

They were brothers, as even though they had seen each other last night at the arena and Joe was probably in Florida at the moment with his family; he considered Colby family enough to touch base with him, even just to say hi. And even though he didn't see a text from Jon he knew the love was still there. Joe and Colby couldn't fault the man. Jon wasn't skilled in the art of texting but he would often call and always sounded happy to hear from his friends. Colby would forever be grateful to wrestling for bringing the three of them together.

Whilst interacting with a few fans on Twitter his mind shifted to the conversation he shared a few hours prior with Cassidy. He was able to provide her with his insight on what being a wrestler was like, some of which got her to laugh. Recalling the exchange Colby realized that all he did was talk about himself then fall asleep on the young woman by its end. Looking back he probably seemed like a jerk which couldn't be further from the truth.

He didn't know much about the young woman but was determined to find out something, starting with her pictures.

Looking through, it was mainly pictures of her with family and friends. There was a common denominator in all those pictures however.

Her smile.

She seemed to own an infectious smile, causing everyone around her to do the same. It was the kind of smile that was inviting and mischievous at the same time, and God, he loved it. It was undoubtedly one of her best features. Apart from finding out she was a frequent grinner, he gathered that she was a gym enthusiast, his mind perking up at the realization. He found it uncanny the way they'd only just met and he already found so many things to like about her. He continued to search and the next post had him laughing quietly. It was a video of Cassie and who he assumed were her friends, singing along to Slick Rick's Mona Lisa.

 _She almost got cut short, you know, scissors  
She tried to disrespect who?! The Grand Wizard  
Me! "Well what's your name, son?"  
"MC Ricky D," but not to be so harsh I said to Mona Li-hee  
"I'm.. sorry and I know that's low class (uh, yeah)  
Please sit, and tell me a little about your past"  
She said, "Well I got courage, and I don't like porridge (uh-huh)  
I've never been to college, but I've got crazy knowledge (uh-huh)  
Over eighteen and my eyes are green (uh-huh)  
I wear more gold than that man on A-Team (uh-huh, uh-huh)  
Trim, slim, (yeah) and I'm also light skinned  
Best believe Mona's a virgin"  
A virgin?! Honey needed a slap  
She tried to tell me she's a virgin, with her yea wide gap  
I said, "It don't matter, see, I'm not picky (word)  
Let me spell my name out for you, it's Ricky,  
R, ravishing  
I, impress  
C, courageous; so careless  
K, for the Kangols which I've got_ _  
that I wear everyday and  
Y, why not?  
To fight's not right that I recite and I'm  
quite polite like Walter Cronkite"_

He had to replay the video. The facial expressions and hand gestures she was able to master whilst driving and singing along would have any sane person feeling stitches from laughing uncontrollably, though he had to admit she was slightly crazy for thinking that doing all that while driving was a good idea. He made a mental note to ask her about it the next time they spoke. Seeing her like that made him want to talk to her again, sooner rather than later. Colby thought about calling her when the night's training session ended.

Feeling the mat shake he looked up and saw the head trainer Marek Brave, known to him as Nick Morrill, entering the ring. The room was now empty except for the two men; all the students having congregated on the outside, basking in the night air. Leaning on the ropes beside Colby with hands resting on his knees Nick asked, "Watcha doin'?"

"Nothing..."

"Well this 'nothing' sure seems funny. Gimme this." Nick retorted, wrestling the phone out of the other man's grasp. "Who is she? She's pretty."

"Just a girl, man."

"That you follow." Nick finished, suspiciously eyeing his friend. "You bangin' her?"

He almost choked on the long drag of water he took from his bottle. "What the hell man?! It's not even like that. We met at the airport. We grabbed the wrong bags and had to meet up to do the exchange. She seemed like a nice chick so I made her promise to keep in touch with me on Twitter."

"Oh. So you talk to her yet? What's she like?" came Nick's reply as he looked through Cassie's pictures just as Colby had done before.

"Um, she's funny. Knows good music too…"

"And she's good-looking too, huh?" Nick smirked, bumping shoulders with Colby.

"Yeah…that too.", Colby replied bashfully as he felt his ears redden, to which Nick responded with a series of catcalls. He gave the man a sharp elbow to the ribs, "Hey man, aren't you married or somethin'?"

"So what? Doesn't mean I can't look? Why you wanna save her all to yourself anyway?"

"I'm not saving her all to myself."

Nick could sense that Colby had something else to say. Both sat in silence as Colby fought for the right words to say to express his feelings to his friend.

"Besides, I think I'm better off avoiding those situations all together."

"Whaddya mean?"

"After all the shit that went down with Leighla, I guess relationships just don't work for me man."

What started off as a normal talk between the two took a serious turn much too quickly. Switching positions he returned the phone, looking Colby dead in the eye.

"So if you're not interested in a relationship what are you gonna do? Colby, you're young. You're in the prime of your life. You have…you know, _urges_."

"And I'll deal with them accordingly."

"Do I even wanna know how?"

"Nope." Colby said shaking his head, making a popping sound with his mouth.

Colby looked at Nick. Based on his confused expression Colby could tell that Nick wasn't fully getting what he was saying. He could pinpoint the exact moment the words registered with Nick, as his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Aw man, don't tell me you gonna start hittin' it and quittin' it."

"If that's what it comes down to then yes. A relationship couldn't work for me, maybe a couple of one night stands will."

"Look man, one night stands aren't gonna make you happier. They're only gonna make you confused as to what you really want and make you miserable."

"Happiness?", Colby chuckled darkly. "After what I did it wouldn't surprise me if God revoked that right."

"C'mon man. You don't think you deserve to be happy?" Nick inquired incredulously.

He didn't answer, but the silence spoke for him.

Nick continued, "Hey, what happened with Leighla, that was some pretty heavy stuff. And you know you played a major role in how things turned out between you two. Some might say you deserved what happened to you while others might say…otherwise. But it doesn't fuckin' matter what people wanna say 'cause you both went your separate ways and no doubt are both trying to regroup and heal from what happened, and now that's in the past. What I saw between you two was love Lopez, and if what I feel about my wife is any indication or comparison, it's a damn strong feeling. You were in love with her for six whole years man! People wouldn't expect the feelings you developed for her over that time to dissipate within a few _months_. Nah man, it shows that she actually _meant_ something to you, it's just that the relationship wasn't _meant_ to be. You're saying you wouldn't be shocked if God removed any trace of happiness from your life but I don't think He works that way. If you believe in God why aren't you willing to believe that He works in mysterious ways? That He makes everything happen for a reason?"

The two- toned man couldn't meet Nick's stare anymore. Staring at the logo on the wall opposite them he smoothed out his beard and answered, "Dammit. I dunno bro…"

"Colby, I'm not saying you should jump into something new tomorrow. No, you need time to adjust and I think you're still in that adjustment phase. Just don't close your mind to the thought of meeting someone new, okay?"

Colby nodded, revelling in this newfound wisdom he was unaware his friend possessed.

Judging from the large number of students that returned at once both trainers realized that the break had concluded. Turning his attention back to Colby he continued, "So chat up….aw hell, what's her name?"

"Cassie."

"Yeah, so go on and chat up Cassie some more. Get back on the horse man, and I expect to hear all about it." Nick finished, slapping Colby playfully on the chest. Jumping up from the hard canvas he went on to address the class, "Come on everybody, pair up! Break's over!"

* * *

Walking out of the bathroom he ran a towel through his hair in a half-assed attempt to dry it. He picked up his phone from the bedside table before plopping down on the bed, towel still wrapped around his waist. The clock showed that it was 11:25 p.m. and he wondered briefly if Cassie was still up. After the evening he had barking commands at his trainees and the unexpected heart to heart from Nick he was in need of some light humour before he went to bed. Colby liked the type Cassidy offered so it would've been stupid not to try her and see if she was awake.

 _Hi there. You awake?_ _—_ _Colby_

He got up and moved towards his wardrobe, intent on finding a pair of shorts to wear to bed when the phone sounded with a chime. It was most likely Cassie. The worry that filled his chest when he thought that she wouldn't answer due to the lateness of the hour immediately quelled. He took his time in pulling the article of clothing over his legs, he didn't want to seem too needy if he replied too quickly. He already appeared desperate when he sent her a text this late and he had an image to maintain.

 _Yeah I'm here. Just stepping in?_ _—_ _Cassie_

 _Yup. And I'm hella tired._ _—_ _Colby_

 _Oh you poor thing. That's what you get for being a wrestler. Man up Lopez! LOL_ _—_ _Cassie_

 _I'm trying =(. So how was your day today?_ _—_ _Colby_

 _Eh, the usual. Work. Lunch. More work. Surprisingly I didn't feel the need to slap anyone today. I usually do :)_ _—_ _Cassie_

 _Haha. Bet you inspire fear in everyone you work with._ _—_ _Colby_

 _Nah, I don't want them to fear me. I just need them to know that I take my work seriously, and in order to do that I need them to dot all Ts and cross all Is._ _—_ _Cassie_

 _Dot all Ts and cross all Is? You sure bout that?_ _—_ _Colby_

 _Crap I just realized. Don't you dare make fun of me Lop_ ez. _By the way, thanks for the text this morning. It started off my morning the right way, :)._ _—_ _Cassie_

Colby went into his photos to take a look at the picture once more. His eyes roamed over every facet of the image and the longer he looked at it the more ungentlemanly his thoughts became. Closing the app he resumed texting.

 _Happy to be of service. I wasn't lying or anything, you did look really pretty this morning._ _—_ _Colby_

 _Aww, thanks again. Hey my fingers are tired now. Call me?_ _—_ _Cassie_

Damn. He was making progress. And he didn't even do much! He wouldn't admit it out loud but deep down he was hoping for the chance to talk to her tonight and here was his opening. Clearing his throat he laid on the bed as he pressed the call button.

"Hey, you." She answered in a low tone. He guessed that it wasn't her intention to sound like a seductress and let it slide.

"Hello to you too. So about last night…I remember I did all the talking which means I know nothing about you. You have all the incriminating evidence which isn't fair at all."

"Okay Colby. Whaddya wanna know?" Hearing the smile in her voice made him smile as well.

"Well, I already know your name and I know where you live. Albany, right?"

"Wrong." She said, not missing a beat, "I'm from Chicago, actually."

"Really? But you know that police officer guy."

"Yeah, Pete and I…how do I explain this?", she paused momentarily, "Pete and I go way back."

"Oh," was all he could say. Colby could tell there was more to the story but wasn't in the position to pry. "So what else is there to know? You know that I wrestle for a living so it's only fair that I know what you do."

"I work for Kaplan Corporation. It's a computer software company."

"I've heard of it. The one that makes the security software, right?"

"The very same."

"So what department do you work in? Is it fun working for a company like that?", he threw the questions quickly, anxious to learn more about her.

"I love my job, but fun? I dunno if I'd describe it that way. Is working ever fun?", Cassie chuckled then continued, "I work in the Technology and Engineering department. "

"Oooh, talk nerdy to me."

That one line had her laughing long and hard at his silly nature, "Can't believe you just said that to me Colby. That was corny as hell."

Again, he couldn't resist smiling as he heard her laugh over the phone. "Okay, for you I'll tone down the corniness. So what do you do there? I assume you don't just sit around and look pretty based on what you said earlier about crossing Ts and dotting Is?"

"Sitting around would be a blessing, but I guess I'd get bored too easily. I'm actually the head of my department and the Chief Technological Officer of the company."

He was downright stunned. She had to be twenty- five at least. Twenty-five years old, a female and in a position of authority already? Her achievements had impressed him so much that they surpassed his own and made them seem insignificant.

"Wow, I'm impressed. So the Chief Technological Officer sounds kinda, official. Are you on the exec body or something?"

"Or something."

"Excuse me?" he was confused. Did he hear her clearly? What did she mean by that?

"Sorry. Tried to make a joke and it fell flat, my bad. But yes, I am a member of the executive body. Is that gonna be a problem Lopez?" she asked teasingly.

"No Ms. Head of my Department, it isn't. I'm just impressed. _Thoroughly_ impressed, might I add. How old are you again?"

"Didn't your mom tell you it's rude to ask a lady her age?", she asked, sounding appalled at his request. "I'm twenty- six though."

"You're so young and you've achieved so much. Congrats, you have my respect."

"Wow, I can tell you don't say that often."

" _Way to go Lopez, now she thinks you're a jackass."_ ,He thought as he did a facepalm.

"Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I got this terrible habit of putting my foot in my mouth."

"Don't sweat it. All's forgiven."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks. So what kind of a department head are you?". He wanted to slap himself or asking these lame questions. He wasn't even thirty and already he forgot how to flirt. All his friends, especially Jon would have a field day if they heard him.

"What kind of department head am I? Well, I could say that I'm laid back, that I don't give a shit about deadlines and that I accept subpar work from those that report to me, but I guess you want me to be honest. Thinking 'bout it I am kinda laid back; I mean I'm not always barking at employees to get work done but that doesn't mean I don't care about the work they do. In fact I can be very cutthroat if I find that an employee isn't working at the level I know they're capable of working at."

Damn. The way she described herself in her work environment made her sound sexy to him. He loved a woman that knew what she wanted in life. He had to admit, sexy and successful had a nice ring to it.

She cut through his musings, "I don't wanna sound rude but can we discuss something other than work? I'm not saying you can't ask about my job or anything but I'm working on something for the office right now and I have to be back there in a couple of hours. I just need to take my mind off it for a while, you get me?"

"Yeah I get you. But if you're working on something now I can call you back tomorrow. I don't wanna distract you."

"Far from it. What I'm doing doesn't require much brainpower, I just wanna forget work for a bit."

"Okay. So I was on Twitter, looking at your pictures and —"

"So you were stalking me, hmm?", she asked and he could hear the mischief in her voice. It made him realize that he had to choose his words carefully or she would end up using them against him.

"Stalking is such a harsh word. I prefer the term intensive research." ,he joked. "Anyway, I came across this video of you and some friends having a little karaoke session while you were driving."

"Karaoke session? You sure? What were we singing?"

"Slick Rick's Mona Lisa. You got some sick mic skills."

"Oh, that!" she exclaimed, most likely remembering the video in question. "And I know I'm dope on the mic. You didn't need to remind me."

"Cassie, come back to earth, 'kay? You're heading into dangerous territory now.", Colby laughed. "So are those ladies your best friends? Tell me about them."

"They are. I don't know if you could see her but the one holding the camera's Lauren. She owns a little clothing store here in Chicago and she's the sanest, most laid back of the three of us."

"So is she a childhood friend or something?"

"No. We met through a mutual friend about three years ago and we've been close ever since. Sophia, that's the one in the backseat; I met on my first day of college. She was in a rough situation and I helped her out. We're almost like sisters."

"I didn't see much of her in the video. What kind of work does she do?"

"She works with me. Well, not directly _with_ me but we work in the same company. She works in the Finance Department and came with me on the trip to New York."

Colby had a flashback to the call Cassie answered that morning in the airport and remembered the shrieking he heard coming from the person on the other end. She had called the person Sophie, which confirmed her story of the two of them working together.

"But what about you? I barely see any pictures of you with others. Are you a loner?"

Colby was now the subject of the interrogation and was pleased to discover that she did her own research too. Most of the pictures he posted were of himself working out; he didn't put up too many personal ones. He smiled at the thought of what must have been her reaction to his physique. He wasn't a ladies man to the extent that Joe was or a sex symbol like Jon, but he did get a few stares.

"So you've been looking too, huh? Know I'd catch you someday."

"Yes, I looked." , Cassie playfully admitted defeated. "I had to make sure you weren't some weirdo that was infatuated with me. So tell me about your friends."

"Well, I'm a quiet guy and I keep to myself sometimes, so I have a few close friends. I work with two of them in the WWE, Joe and Jon. And there's one that's not in the company but works on the indy— sorry, independent wrestling scene, his name's Nick."

"Which one are you the closest to?"

"I wouldn't say that I'm closest to a particular one. But I've known Nick the longest so you can spin that however to want to."

"How long have you known him?", she asked quietly.

"We met in my late teens, early twenties thereabout. We used to tear up the independent scene together." He paused and smiled, thinking about the insane matches they used to fight in.

"Colby you there? Or did you fall asleep on me again?"

"Nah I'm here. Just thinking."

"Okay. About the other two, where did you meet them?"

"Joe, Jon and I entered the WWE around the same time and when we came up to the main roster we formed this group called The Shield, so in that time we used travel together a lot, 'cause you know in wrestling we're always on the road."

"You make it sound as if you don't travel with them anymore though."

"We don't. But we still see each other at shows and meet up a few times. The character I play, Seth Rollins actually broke up The Shield awhile back, stabbed them in the back and everything. So the characters we play aren't on speaking terms and hence we can't travel together for the sake of keeping up appearances."

"I see. So what kind of a guy is Jon, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Jon is the crazy one, the goofball. You know, always pranking people, the one most likely to go to jail if we go out for a few drinks. Joe on the other hand is a mellow guy but still knows how to have a good time."

"And lemme guess, you're somewhere in between the two extremes, right? You're a quiet guy but a troublemaker at heart?"

"That description could work.", he nodded, then remembered that she couldn't see. "So have I negated your assumption that I'm some sort of weirdo?"

"You have. Your friends sound like good people and they say birds of a feather flock together…"

Feeling they had exhausted the 'friends' topic he decided to change the subject. "So are you always up this late?"

"What time is it? It's seventeen minutes to three. No, not always. But I've always been a night owl."

"It's that late?", he moved the phone from his ear and checked the time, which only confirmed the time Cassie had just stated. "Dammit. Seems like we only just started talking. Guess I should let you get some sleep then. Goodnight, Cassidy."

"I feel the same way. Anyways goodnight Colby. Talk to you soon."


End file.
